1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to seats for the driving compartment of automotive trucks, especially the tractor of a tractor-trailer truck in which the tractor is provided with a driving compartment and a sleeper compartment.
2. Summary of the Invention
In automotive truck cabs of the type having a driver compartment and a rearward, sleeper compartment it is desirable to maximize the floor space available to the occupant of the sleeper. This floor space is often occupied by the passenger seat in the driver's compartment such that it is difficult to gain access to the sleeper compartment.
It is an object of this invention to provide a stowable seat and back which provides easy entrance to the sleeper compartment and optimizes available floor space in the sleeper compartment for standing room.
It is another object of this invention to provide a stowable seat and back which is safe and simple to operate.
These objects are obtained by providing a forward, stowable seat and back having a floor frame, a seat frame and fore and aft upright frames which are pivotally connected to allow the seat and back to swing from a rearward position in which the seat and back are suspended rearwardly of the floor frame into a forward stowage position in which the seat and back are forward at least of the rear end portion of the floor frame thus exposing floor space for the use of the sleeper compartment occupant. The frames are preferably precluded from further rearward movement by brace means which are collapsible as the seat is moved forward. Releasible latch means locks the seat frame against further movement preferably by latching the brace means against movement. The back is movable with the stowable seat and back and is also independently pivotable. An integral strap is secured at its lower end to the seat frame and its upper end is freely slidable within a track vertically mounted on the back. A detent released by a button on the back which is accessible by reaching around from the front of the seat unhooks the strap so that the seat can be pivoted forward.